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BACKGROUND

Least Developed Countries (LDCs) face severe and persistent food security challenges driven by widespread poverty and low purchasing power, limited fiscal space, constrained access to financing and high public debt, climate-related emergencies and, in some cases, conflict-related disruptions that weaken markets and emergency response systems. These structural challenges are compounded by high reliance on external food sources. In 2020, food imports accounted for 15 per cent of total merchandise imports in LDCs, nearly double the global average, increasing exposure to external price volatility and supply disruptions. This reliance on imports, combined with limited fiscal space and escalating debt, amplifies the risks of hunger, malnutrition and food emergencies, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. In 2023, 57.3 per cent of the population in LDCs was food-insecure, as a result of rising food prices, displacement, disruptions in agricultural production and extreme weather events. Undernourishment stood at 22.1 per cent in 2022, more than double the global rate of 9.2 per cent.

The Doha Programme of Action for LDCs for the Decade 2022-2031 (DPoA) mandated the Secretary General of the United Nations to explore the feasibility, effectiveness, and administrative modalities of a system of food stockholding for the LDCs on a regional and sub-regional basis, or alternative means, such as cash transfer, taking into account possible economic implications, and risks. In response, the Secretary-General submitted its report (A/77/291) which concluded that stockholding is “a vital part of the solution to food insecurity in the LDCs. It further proposed that “a special food reserve system dedicated to LDCs could be created within existing relevant multilateral organizations.”

Subsequently, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to carry out a study to further assess the proposed recommendations for such a system, outlining modalities, terms of reference, governance and support structures, in consultation with all relevant United Nations entities and taking into consideration and building upon the existing initiatives and programmes on food security, and considering WTO members’ existing obligations.

MEETING OBJECTIVES

The Expert Group Meeting will serve as an important platform for advancing the Food Stockholding Mechanism under the Doha Programme of Action, transforming preliminary insights into actionable strategies. Building on emerging findings, the meeting will provide expert guidance and shape the final feasibility study. Participants will explore practical solutions related to operational requirements, governance and institutional frameworks, financing models, and logistical systems; thereby laying the foundation for a robust and resilient Food Stockholding System that strengthens food security across LDCs.

This event is organized with the generous support and contribution of the Government of the State of Qatar.

The Meeting will take place at the United Nations HQ in New York City, Conference Room 5.

DOCUMENTS

• Concept Note
• Agenda
• Logistical Information Note
• Guidance Note for Sessions
• Doha Programme of Action
• Background Note - Session 1
• Background Note - Session 2
• Background Note - Session 3
• Background Note - Session 4
• Background Note - Session 5

News

• Expert Group Meeting Charts the Path Toward Operationalizing the Food Stockholding Mechanism for LDCs (6 February 2025)

Presentations

OPENING SESSION

• Opening remarks by Ms. Rabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative, UN-OHRLLS

SPECIAL SESSION: CHARTING THE LDC FOOD STOCKHOLDING MECHANISM: VISION, PARTNERSHIPS AND PATHWAYS TO RESILIENT FOOD SECURITY

• Keynote address: Prof. David Tschirley, Emeritus Professor, Michigan State University
• Special address: Mr. Maximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist, FAO

SESSION 1: ESTABLISHING LDC FOOD STOCKHOLDING MECHANISM: LEVERAGING INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES, BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS AND SYNERGIES

• Presentation by Ms. Priya Singh, Chief of Supply Chain Research and Development, WFP
• Dr. Choomjet Karnjanakesorn, General Manager of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Secretariat
• Mr. Rodrigo Carcamo, Chief Agriculture and Commodity Section, International trade and Commodities Division, UNCTAD
• Ms. Chantal Umuhire – Senior Agriculture expert AFDB
• Ms. Dima Al Khatib, Director UNOSSC

SESSION 2: OPERATIONAL MODALITIES FOR THE FOOD STOCKHOLDING MECHANISM FOR EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE

• Presentation by Dr. William J. Burke, Assistant Professor, Agricultural Economics, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
• Mr. Diwakar Dixit, Senior Counsellor, Committee on Agriculture, WTO
• Mr. Chance Kabaghe, Expert (previous CEO of the Zambia Food Reserve Agency)
• Mr. Christopher Gilbert, Independent expert

SESSION 3: ALIGNING FSM WITH RESILIENCE BUILDING AND FOOD SYSTEMS TRANSFORMATION

• Presentation by Ms. Priya Singh, Chief of Supply Chain Research and Development, WFP
• Dr. Paul Dorosh, Research Fellow Emeritus IFPRI
• Mr. Lasse Bruun, Director of Climate and Food, UN Foundation

SESSION 4: POSSIBLE FUNCTIONS, ACTIVITIES, AND GOVERNANCE FOR THE LDC FSM

• Presentation by Prof. David Tschirley, Emeritus Professor, Michigan State University and Ms. Priya Singh, Chief of Supply Chain Research and Development, WFP
• Mr. Nick Minot – Non-resident fellow, Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit, IFPRI
• Mr. Md. Mansur Ahmed – Senior Economist Agriculture and Food department, World Bank
• Mr. Malick Lompo, Program Officer Market Analyst and Data management, ECOWAS Commission

SESSION 5: STRATEGIC APPROACH FOR RESOURCE MOBILIZATION FOR THE FSM

• Presentation by Ms. Sanne Helderman, Independent Consultant
• Mr. Andrey Kuleshov, Chief of Strategy and Development, UNCFC
• Ms. Kawtar Zerouali, Global Lead Peace and Resilience Finance, UNCDF

CLOSING SESSION

• Closing statement by Ms. Rabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative, UN-OHRLLS
• Closing statement by H.E. Lok Bahadur Thapa, PR of Nepal to the UN and Chair of LDCs
• Presentation of the recommendation and key takeaways by Prof. David Tschirley, Emeritus Professor, Michigan State University
• Presentation on the way forward by Mr. Roland Mollerus, Director OHRLLS